Chains of Fate
by Broken Dove
Summary: Someone once told me that we're bound to our fate by thick, heavy chains, that we can't break away from. Why should I accept MY fate though to suffer alone in darkness, or be murdered by the light? FULL SUMMARY IN CHAP 2
1. Meeting

Title: Breaking Free

Summary: Taka's been protected her entire life, and she's growing quite sick of it. When she gets the chance to break free of all the rules, she takes it, and soon finds out just why they were protecting her. Rewrite of ToS with an OC thrown in.

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PP: Alright, better explanation of the entire fic. I've taken Tales of Symphonia, created an OC, and mixed them together, resulting in... THIS! The first chapter might be a bit weird, but I assure you, it's just to introduce the fic and my main character. Also, some scenery and locations of things might be changed, but I'll try to keep the changes to a minimum. I'm not quite sure what else to say about it, except that I hope you like it, and remember to review!

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Chapter 1 

The radio crackled with static as the transmission came through to her. "Are you in position?"

She lifted the radio to her mouth and pressed the transmit button, whispering into it. "Affirmative. Currently awaiting further instructions."

"Hold position. New incoming data. We need time to process it."

"Affirmative."

She slipped the radio back into its protective pouch on her belt, but left it open, and sat back against the tree, making herself fairly comfortable. She was careful that the branches didn't move too much underneath her, just in case someone was watching her location. She doubted it, but life had told her to always take precautions, even when they seemed unnecessary. She fingered the scar on her neck, a constant reminder of what happened when you didn't take the precaution of watching your back around Desians. She was lucky she didn't lose her head that day.

"Come in WarChild, come in."

The crackly voice snapped her out her thoughts. She frowned as she pulled her radio back out. "I thought I told you never to use that nickname again."

"It's always fun to tease you with though."

"Anyways, the new data?"

"Oh yeah, the data. You're gonna have some company."

"Ooh, are they friendly? Because if they're hostile, they're not the only ones."

"They're neutral, for the moment. They are on the target list of possible allies though. Actually, I don't think you quite agreed with the methods we were using to... _recruit_ them."

She sat up, grinning in a slightly predatory way. "Don't tell me that I'm finally going to meet group #1."

"Well, there's the _possibility_ that you might. I've got a message from the guy behind the desk concerning that. I don't have **any** idea what it means, but I was assured that you would know."

"Come on already, just tell me."

" 'Be careful. If there's anyone around there who could recognise you, it's him. Don't go looking for trouble. If you do run into trouble, try to use it to your advantage, and to our group's advantage. Stick to your mission, in and out, and try to come back in one piece.' You get all that?"

She was already smiling, having been reminded by the message of just how protective Numero Uno was of her. It also confirmed that she was really meeting him (maybe), and that made her slightly nervous. "Yeah, I got it. You tell him that I'll always be his innocent little angel, doing whatever he tells me to do. Now, do I have clearance?"

"You're all clear for takeoff."

"Affirmative. Now closing radio contact until mission is complete. Will re-establish contact when coast is clear." She shut the radio off and slid it back into its pouch. She surveyed the area once again just to make sure that there wasn't anyone nearby and slid down from the tree. The ranch was in front of her, east of her current position. She darted towards it, being careful not to make any unnecessary noise in the foliage.

The edge of the forest came up on her rather quick. She smiled when she saw how close to the outer wall the nearest tree was. One well planned jump from one of the higher branches and she'd be on top of the wall. Obviously they thought that the mountain would stop enemies on that side.

With a couple of quick moves she was on the right branch, and a moment later was crouched on top of the wall. Her foot slipped, and she held her breath, hoping the guard below her didn't notice the couple of pebbles she knocked loose. She let out a small sigh of relief when he left and she saw a glint of light from behind one of the buildings.

She quickly dropped to the ground and sprinted over to the shadows where her inside contact was waiting. He looked just like a regular Desian, but the small pin he had clipped to his collar confirmed that he was one of them. The necklace she wore twisted the mana in the air around her so he couldn't see her though, meaning that she had to use a verbal confirmation of her identity ("Clippin' the angels' wings, one tower at a time,"). He frowned slightly at the sound of her voice. "I thought they were sending a guy."

"Why? Because they said they were sending the best?"

He instantly shut up and motioned for her to follow. They skirted around the edges of the ranch, the area with the fewest people. Through the gaps between the buildings she caught horrifying glimpses of the ranch prisoners' daily lives. She wanted to dart out and save them all, but forced herself to look away and focus on her mission. Without concentration, mistakes were made.

He finally brought her to a stop in front of what obviously had to be the main building. Not only was it MUCH taller, but it also seemed to exude a certain sense of power. There were more people wandering around here as well, so her contact couldn't say a word to her for fear of exposing her. He waited for her to signal that she was ready to go inside instead.

She wandered around the building, looking up towards where the power room was located. _"Hmmm... no windows, no holes, no nothing! Guess I have to do this the old-fashioned way."_ She walked back to her contact and lightly placed her hand on his shoulder, indicating that she was back and ready to go. He led her to the door and opened it; only letting it shut when he felt her hand leave his shoulder and knew that she was gone.

Neither one of them knew that, at that very moment, the Chosen's group was sneaking through the back door with a pass they received from Governor Dorr.

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Inside the building, security was a bit tighter then she had expected, but it didn't bother her at all. There was a reason they called her the best after all. The few people that were in her way never realized that they had even been hit, and were arranged so it looked like they were sleeping on the job. 

The first thing she saw when she walked in was a warp pad. She consulted her map, and saw that it wouldn't activate until she had switched over her Sorcerer's Ring. There was a purple circle drawn in the room off to her right, indicating a spot to switch the ring, so she ducked that way. She quickly checked to make sure the coast was clear before she opened the door.

She instantly realized that she wasn't alone when she saw the green glow of radar. The next thing she saw was a sparkle coming from her chest. _"Shit! We didn't test it for its reaction to sensors!"_ She clasped the pendant between her hands and backed up into the door, praying that no one had seen it. Soon the radar dissipated and she let go of the necklace again, while stepping away from the door. She heard a door shut somewhere and realized the other person/people had left.

She quickly switched over the ring and left the room again. The Sorcerer's Ring quickly activated the warp, sending her to the next room. There was only one warp there as well, and she found that someone had already activated it, making the three cards she had been given useless.

After reaching the next floor, she referred to her map again, which quickly lead her through the confusing maze of warps. When the main power room was in front of her, she sent up a quick thank you to whatever genius had realized that she would need a map.

Once again, she quickly looked around to make sure no one was watching and zipped through the door. There wasn't anyone inside, which left her free to click the necklace off, revealing herself. She stretched herself out, glad that she was able to see herself again.

She strolled over to the control panel and took a second to look at the screens, trying to figure out which screen showed the outside of her current room. It didn't long, considering it was right in front of the keyboard. She sat down and quickly got to work, keeping one eye on the camera screen. A couple of keystrokes and she was into the main system.

Getting into the mana control center screen was a bit more difficult, due to all the protections placed around it. Computer hacking was her specialty though. It took a grand total of about 2 minutes to get past all the passwords and encryptions. _"Too easy,"_ she thought, smirking.

Just after she began to enter the commands to modify the mana flow though, 'INVALID COMMAND' flashed across the screen and it all went black. She sat back, thinking. It meant that Magnius had gotten worried and moved the important controls where he could keep a close eye on them. She'd have to find a way to sneak into his office and modify the mana flow before anyone noticed her.

Her deep thinking drew her attention away from the camera screen, so she didn't notice the group that appeared outside the door until the sounds of their conversation reached her ears. She sat up and stared at the screen. The Chosen's group was right outside the door. They were arguing over whether or not they should enter the room.

One of her hands drifted up to her necklace, and a finger hovered over the switch that would instantly conceal her again. They weren't entering right away though, so she used the opportunity to take a look at them.

There were six people standing there, all of them completely different in looks. She had already been shown artists' drawings of them, so she knew what their names were. The smallest one, wearing blue and with silver hair, was Genis, and his sister, Raine, was the silver haired woman in orange. The boy in red was Lloyd, the one they wanted the most, and the blond haired girl in white was the Chosen, Colette.

The woman in blue with purple hair surprised her though. She was positive that the woman was Sheena, but she had been hired to _kill _Colette, and there she was _helping_ them.

Then, there was _him_. He looked exactly like he did in all the old photographs she had been shown of him. His brown hair was a spiky mess, going whatever way it wanted. He also stood in the exact same way he did in every single photo. _Kratos._

They moved away and she relaxed. Her mind was racing though. He had been right **there**. On the other side of the door. She had been **that** close to finally meeting him. Of course, if they did meet, he wasn't allowed to have any idea at all of whom she was. That thought saddened her a bit, but she knew it was for the best.

She waited for another 10 minutes, to give them enough time to get away from the door entirely. Before she left, she made sure she turned the necklace back on. They were long gone when she stepped out, and she sighed, not quite sure whether she was relieved or disappointed. She pulled the map back out and continued on her way, keeping an eye open for the Chosen's group.

By the time she reached the warp pad to Magnius' office, they hadn't shown up again though. When she thought about it, not very many people had shown up. A sign that they had already gone through. That could mean that she would find them in the office. She gulped. That wouldn't be cool, because it would mean more people there that she would need to work around.

She calmed herself down, and stepped on the pad, disappearing through the ceiling. When she reappeared, she felt a spark on her hest, stinging her. She lept back and watched in horror as the necklace malfunctioned, revealing her again. She swore multiple times, then realized there were sounds of fighting within the room. She looked up and saw the Chosen's group locked in battle with Magnius and two Desians.

They were fighting valiantly, but the warp maze and all the Desians on the way had most likely tired them out, and it showed. Magnius' group was outnumbered 2 - 1, but still looked like the victors. _"Not for long."_ She darted forward, pulling out her staff as she ran. She jumped over the chair in the middle of the room and brought the staff down on a Desian's head as she came down. He instantly crashed to the ground and she landed lightly on her feet. Sheena looked at her, confused, but she ignored it and ran to help Kratos with Magnius, because Lloyd and the Chosen seemed to have the other Desian under control.

Kratos took a step away from Magnius, probably to give himself room for a technique, but Magnius took advantage of the space to swing his axe straight down at Kratos. She ran in between them and intercepted the blow with her staff. She could sense Kratos' confused gaze on the back of her head, and Magnius openly gaped at her. "Who the hell are you!"

She just smiled at him and forced him back, freeing her weapon again. She pressed a hidden button in the middle of the staff, and a foot-long blade popped out of each end. "Lightning Thrust!" She swung it around and thrust it into his armour as lightning sparked around the blade that connected. It threw him backwards and left a small burn mark on his chest. Sheena and Kratos both rushed forward, using his recovery time to their advantage. A blue circle appeared beneath him too as she heard Genis call out a spell.

Magnius was engulfed with a pillar of water and rocketed into the air. Kratos and Sheena were waiting for him when he came back down. She looked around, wondering if she'd be able to complete her mission while they had Magnius distracted. Then she saw the Desian she had taken out earlier slowly creeping up behind Sheena. "Look out!"

She launched forward and swung at his back, slicing his armour off. Sheena spun around and performed a Pyre Seal on his exposed chest, finally putting him down for the count. Sheena nodded in thanks and turned back to Magnius as she looked over at Lloyd and the Chosen. They were still fighting off their Desian, so she decided to help them out a bit. She turned the staff so it was vertical and closed her eyes, beginning to chant. A purple circle appeared beneath her as mana swirled around her.

After a short while, her eyes popped open again and she twirled her weapon around before pointing it at the Desian. "Spark Wave!" His body was covered with electrical charges as he went into convulsions. They faded away and he fell to the ground, unmoving. Lloyd and the Chosen both turned towards her, stunned. It must have been a spell that their mage didn't know. They both rushed forward to help against Magnius though, who was quickly falling to their combined power.

She stood back and watched as he finally fell, then ran to what looked like the main computer and started working. Once again, she had to make her way through all the passwords and encryptions, but it was much easier than before because she had already made it through everything once. Modifying the mana flow was actually _easy_ when she compared it to all of the protection around it.

She quickly finished up what she was doing and shut down the system, even though there probably wasn't anyone else who could access it with Magnius dead. She said a quick prayer for his soul, then turned towards the warp pad. Before she could use it though, a firm hand gripped her arm, stopping her. "Wait."

The voice was soft and friendly. It still sent shivers of fear down her spine. She gulped, and slowly turned. Sure enough, it was _him_ standing behind her. Her knees suddenly felt very weak, just looking into his eyes, but he forced herself to stand straight and hide it. "Yes? What is it?"

"I just find it surprising that you would run off without even telling us your names after you helped save the Chosen."

She made her eyes go wide with surprise that she didn't feel. "The Chosen is among you? I had no idea! I was just helping out some kind-looking folk who were in trouble. I should really be on my way now though."

She turned to go, but Kratos' grip on her arm tightened. She frowned and looked up into his eyes again. In them, she could see a mild confusion. "Do I... know you? You look slightly familiar."

Her heart was gripped by fear. If he recognised her, everything could be over. "I don't think we've met before. At least, you don't look very familiar to me."

His eyes narrowed, probably because he was trying to figure out who she was. "I'm SURE you look familiar though. What's your name?"

She gulped. "It's R... I mean, Taka. It's Taka. Now, I think you should return the favour by telling me your name."

He was about to answer when Raine turned away from the computer she had been working at. "We should probably continue this question and answer session later. This ranch is going to blow in about 10 minutes, and I know that I have a lot of questions to ask you, like what you were doing here in the first place."

Kratos' eyes suddenly widened again. "Of course! You remind me of one of my old travelling companions, that's who!"

She froze, but was saved from answering right then by Lloyd, who ran forward and pushed them both into the warp. "Didn't you hear Professor Sage? We don't have the time for this now!"

Kratos finally let go of her, but kept a close eye on her. Good thing he couldn't read her mind, or he would have realized that things were going downhill a lot quicker than she had thought they would. If he really did know her for who she was, and then he turned her over, everything they had worked towards hiding her entire life would be for nothing.

Helping them out could have been the one mistake that destroyed everything.

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PP: Ok, if you're reading this, then you obviously read the chapter, so let me know what you thought! I know that it may not have been the best, but this was also the first chapter, where I was just trying to introduce my character. In the next chapter, I'll explain what Taka looks like and her personality and such, maybe, but her connection to Kratos and why him recognising her is such a bad thing won't be revealed until the time is right. By the way, anyone who correctly guesses what group Taka is a part of, that sent her into the ranch to modify the mana flow gets... cake! And everyone else who reviews gets cookies! Until next time! 


	2. Discussion

Title: Chains of Fate

Summary: Someone once told me that we're bound to our fate by thick, heavy chains that we can't break away from. Why should I accept MY fate though; to suffer alone in the darkness, or be murdered by the light? I need some answers. I need to find a way out. I'm tired of hiding. I can't just abandon my orders though… can I?

Simplified Summary: Rewrite of ToS with my OC thrown in. Expect an altered plot, because that happens when you add someone else in.

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PP: Ok, I'm really sorry for the huge wait. I've just been supremely unfocused. Hopefully I'll be able to get Chapter 3 out a lot quicker, as in the next couple of weeks. I REALLY hope so. Anyways, I'd like to thank **Pepsi addict **for being my FIRST reviewer, and **Sunfrost** for being the 2nd, and also correctly guessing that Taka is a Renegade. Don't worry anybody, I thought I was making it easy, and that's not a major plot spoiler, just in case you were worrying about that. Well, can't think of anything else to say, so I'll just get on with the chapter. Enjoy!

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Chapter 2 

The group made it out of the ranch safely and watched as it went up in flames. Taka was relieved to hear that the captives had all escaped as well. One thing she couldn't handle was the murder of innocent people. The rest of the group seemed worried about some girl called Chocolat though. Apparently she had been one of the ranch's captives, but had been taken away before they could rescue her.

She listened as they discussed plans with Neil to have the exspheres removed from the captives. Sometime during their conversation she wandered away from the group towards the rubble left over from the blast. As she passed a group of trees by the eastern edge of the area, the image of the man who had helped her get in flashed through her mind.

She had never seen him before that moment, but she could only imagine how tough he would have had to be to spend his life pretending to be one of them. A little voice in the back of her mind wondered how many of their men had been undercover at the Palmacosta ranch right then, but she silenced it, unwilling to even think about it. The more people they had working there, the more people they could have sentenced to their deaths.

Taka knelt, and prayed that their men had all made it out okay. If they hadn't… she gulped, and moved on. Her lips moved silently and her eyes closed, blocking out the wreckage before her.

That was how Kratos found her when he walked up a few moments later. She didn't notice him at first, so he stood back a bit and took a closer look at her than he did earlier. She was the oddest character he'd ever met, and that was saying a lot. It was almost as though she'd taken multiple cultures and thrown them all together, belonging to all, yet belonging to none of them herself.

Her hair was done up in a faintly Mizuhoan style, with a large chuck hanging on either side of her face, flapping in the faint breeze. She was dressed all in black, with the trousers of the people of Triet. Her shirt was pretty basic, with no sleeves and a v-neck. There was a hood on it though, something like Flanoir's clothing, except minus the fur lining. Finally, she wore a pair of large, dark green boots that looked like something a lumberjack would be wearing, not some kid.

He was intrigued by her hair and eyes though. Her hair was blue, and her eyes were green. Normal enough for most people. There were purple streaks running through both of them though. They weren't quite as normal. Even elves and half-elves would consider them an oddity.

Just then, her eyes flickered open and she turned to look at him. When she saw him standing there, she immediately jumped to her feet and brushed the dirt off of her knees. She met his eyes, and a shiver ran through his body. Despite her soft appearance, her eyes held the look of a battle hardened soldier. She looked like she was only about 17 or 18, but she already looked like she'd seen more of the world than anyone could even dream about.

She took a few steps toward him then stopped and continued watching him. After a few moments of awkward silence, he spoke. "So, you said your name was Taka, right?"

She nodded stiffly. All her senses had gone on high alert when she had realized he was watching her. How had she missed him coming up behind her? She was known for how aware she was of her surroundings at all times; how could she have missed him?! He sighed when he realized that was the only reaction he was going to get out of her and slowly walked around the area as he continued. "What were you doing at the ranch Taka? It just seems a bit too convenient that you were there right when we needed help."

"Well, sir, I suppose we should be thanking Martel that I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. As for why I was there, I had things that I was looking into."

He turned so he could just barely see her out of the corner of his eye. She had her cold gaze fixed on him. Even her small smile did nothing to melt the ice within them. It was a strong reminder of someone he knew very well… He had to be careful though, because he had nearly blown his cover in the ranch. If they hadn't been rushing out and he had been allowed to continued, he most likely would have ended up revealing that he knew Yuan. He gave her a small smile of his own. "Please Taka, call me Kratos. It's much better than you calling me 'sir' all the time."

"Fine, Kratos."

"You didn't really answer my question though Taka. What things were you looking into at the ranch?"

Her eyes narrowed but she still managed to keep her smile on her face. "Well, Kratos, I don't think you need to know exactly what I was doing. It's got nothing to do with you, I can assure you of that, so don't concern yourself with it." She began walking away at that point, moving away in the opposite direction of where the group was. "If you'll excuse me, I should be leaving."

"Taka, you're a half-elf, aren't you? What's a half-elf doing snooping around a human ranch all on their own?"

She froze and turned her head back to look at him. He was turned away from her, so he missed the small grin on her face as she snickered a bit. "Is it really that obvious? I suppose that next time I'll have to be a bit more careful about letting on what my true heritage is."

By the time he turned to look at her, she had fixed him with the same cold eyes and small smile. She had her weight balanced on one foot and her right hand rested on her hip. He gave her the same fake smile. "Well, your ability to use magic and your pointed ears give away the fact that you're not human. Other than your hair and eyes though, the rest of your body structure is extremely similar to a human. If you put two and two together, the most logical explanation is that you're a half-elf."

"Very smart. I'm still not going to tell you the entire truth about why I was there though, because as I said, it doesn't concern you at all. Now, I really should be leaving."

She turned and began walking away again, when he called out. "Wait." She stopped but didn't turn. "I'm sure the rest of our group would like to thank you for your help earlier. Why don't you come back with me?"

A small smirk crossed her face that he couldn't see, but it was gone by the time she turned again. Instead, it had been replaced with a worried expression. "Oh, but they wouldn't want me hanging around, would they? I'm an outsider, who I'm sure you can't completely trust yet."

Kratos shook his head in a reassuring way. "No, I'm positive that they would greatly appreciate the chance to thank you for your assistance."

She bit her lip nervously and made it look like she was thinking about her offer, while inside she was really laughing at how easy it seemed and wondered when everything would fall apart. When she had regained her composure she looked back at him and nodded. "Alright, I suppose I can meet with your companions for a bit. I don't really have anywhere to go back to immediately anyways."

He gestured for her to move the other way, so she took the lead back to the campsite that the others had already set up. Apparently they had decided to set up camp and remain there for the night. Everything was set up on the very edge of the forest, so there was a distance between them and the ranch, but they still had some shelter from the trees.

Kratos stayed right behind her all the way to the site, and stood next to her when they got there. After introducing her to the rest of the group and getting the rest of their names (even though she already knew them), they sat down. Sheena, Lloyd and Colette all welcomed her in immediately, Genis was a tiny bit more wary, and Raine openly showed her displeasure at Taka joining them. The only reason she didn't say anything was because Taka hadn't done anything against them… yet.

They all had their own questions for her, and she managed to skirt around them the same way she did with Kratos. She wasn't asked about her bloodline again, but from the looks Genis and Raine gave her, they both knew. It wouldn't surprise her, considering she could easily tell they were half-elves too.

Eventually, when they realized she had her own secrets that she didn't want to talk about and wouldn't, everyone turned in for the night. Kratos volunteered to be the night watch, something that everyone had already taken for granted. Colette separated herself from the group and gazed up at the stars. She received a couple of looks of pity from other members of the group, but only when her back was turned.

Taka chose a spot just on the edge of the firelight; as far away as she could get without being suspicious. The stars winked down at her as she carefully set her staff on the ground next to her. Her breathing slowed and evened out as though she were asleep, and she began thinking of the day's events.

In her opinion, she'd done a good job of hiding the truth from them. There was no way to really tell though, so she couldn't be positive. She was positive that none of them would draw the connection between her and the Renegades though. Kratos had come close, but had seemingly forgotten about it.

The truth was that she was a member of the Renegades who specialized in stealth missions. She'd been handpicked for the mission to switch over the mana flow. Meeting group numero uno was just a bonus. Obviously, that wasn't something she wanted to tell them. It was something she couldn't tell them.

A little voice in the back of her mind whispered that she needed some rest before the sun rose, so she stopped thinking about it. No use in looking back to the past, because no one could change it. She closed her eyes, and her mind glanced off into visions of death, darkness, and eternal falling into endless abysses.


End file.
